Six North Texas Women All Set Guinness World Record™ for Most Breastmilk Donated

The Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas counts six of its donors among the recent and current Guinness World Record™ holders, including current record holder, Alyse Ogletree of Argyle, TX, who donated 53,081 ounces (or 414 gallons) of her own breastmilk to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas

Guinness World Record™ Holders Brittani Goodson, Katy Edgington and Alyse Ogletree all donated their excess breastmilk to the Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas, saving the lives of preemie NICU babies

"Whether she can donate 100 ounces or 10,000 ounces, we want our donors to know that all of their donated, excess breastmilk makes a big difference to premature or medically fragile babies."

Fort Worth, TEXAS (PRWEB) August 05, 2014

According to Guinness World Records™, six North Texas women are among the most prolific producers of breastmilk in the world.

And that’s good news for Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas, which counts six of its donors among the recent and current Guinness World Record™ holders for Most Breastmilk Donated. Since Granbury resident Alicia Richman set a new world record in 2012 with 11,115 ounces, five additional area women have been inspired to pump, store and donate their extra breastmilk to the Milk Bank. Current record-holder, Alyse Ogletree of Argyle, TX, donated 53,081 ounces (or 414 gallons) of her own breastmilk to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas between January 2011 and March 2014.

Guinness World Records bestowed its title on 26-year-old Ogletree on August 4, 2014. Cathie Rosado from Landisville, PA previously held the title from July 25, 2014 to August 4, 2014, donating 44,811 ounces to the OhioHealth Mothers’ Milk Bank. Fort Worth mother Brittani Goodson previously held the title, from July 16, 2014 to July 25, 2014. Goodson, a 29-year-old mother of two, donated 33,410 ounces of her own breastmilk to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas between November 2012 and January 2014. Goodson was named the record holder only two weeks after Guinness World Records crowned another Fort Worth mother, Katy Edgington, for a similar feat: donating 23,251 ounces.

Amy Vickers, executive director of the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas, says her organization expects to screen and approve more than 800 women this year as human milk donors. A typical donation may be a couple of hundred to one thousand ounces, Vickers says. She describes women who are able to pump and store such huge quantities of milk as “super-producers.”

“Whether she can donate 100 ounces or 10,000 ounces, we want our donors to know that all of their milk makes a big difference to premature or medically fragile babies,” Vickers says. “When moms choose to donate their milk to us, they know it helps the sickest, smallest babies who need it.”

As more neonatologists prescribe donor milk for their patients, the demand for donor human milk grows. In 2013, Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas dispensed more than 414,000 ounces to 85 hospitals in 11 states. And as exciting as a large donation is for the North Texas Milk Bank, it is distributed as fast as it is collected. The North Texas Milk Bank ships approximately 9,000 ounces a week to patients.

In 2013, the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas learned that two more of their donor moms became Guinness World Record Holders. Named consecutively in March 2013, Sara Pascale from Fairview, Texas held the world record for 11,200 ounces; then Dallas’ Karen Merheb became the next record holder with 14,243 ounces.

“Even with enormous individual donations from women like Alicia, Brittani, Katy, Alyse and others, donor milk remains precious and in demand,” Vickers says. “We want to acknowledge their generosity with a gentle reminder – that the milk goes out as fast as it comes in, all donors eventually stop breastfeeding and so we will always need donors.”

Meet the Moms: Ogletree: Two-time donor mom

When he was eight-and-a-half-months-old, Alyse Ogletree’s son Kyle contracted viral spinal meningitis that resulted in a stroke. She continued to pump while her son was in the ICU, filling the hospital freezer full of her breastmilk. A male nurse asked her what she was going to do with all of her milk, and suggested she donate any Kyle didn’t need to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas.

Ogletree was screened and donated 1,880 ounces of her son Kyle’s excess milk. She became a two-time donor mom to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas, when she donated 51,201 ounces of her second child’s excess breastmilk.

Goodson: Pumping from the ICU

Brittani Goodson had an oversupply of milk as soon as her son Nicolas was born, and knew she was not only lucky to have more than enough to feed her baby, but also that most moms don’t produce this much milk when breastfeeding or pumping. “I had a lot of milk, and I know that his not the norm,” said Goodson. “If any mom has excess breastmilk, then I encourage her to donate it to a nonprofit milk bank. Milk Banks need all the milk they can get, and both average size donations as well as larger donations help them deliver breastmilk to the babies that need it most."

While pumping, Goodson was admitted to a hospital ICU for pneumonia. Her family fulfilled her request to pump while she was in the hospital ICU. When she was discharged from the hospital, Goodson realized that she had more milk than her son could consume. An online search led her to an informal milk sharing Facebook page. After donating 1,500 ounces to a mom she found on the site, Goodson saw the same mom sharing the same story and making a plea for more milk on the site the very next day. Disheartened, she asked her OBGYN what she could do with all of her breastmilk, and she referred Goodson to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas.

Edgington: Inspired to Help

When he was two weeks old, Katy Edgington watched over her newborn son Riley while he was in a Fort Worth hospital, pumping her own breastmilk for him and freezing what he didn’t eat. Soon, she also had a lot of milk, more than her son would consume. Edgington learned about the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas from a local news story featuring Richman, who held the Guinness World Record from September 2012 to March 2013.

Edgington remembers how she felt with a child in the hospital, and says her decision to donate to a nonprofit milk bank came from that experience. “Riley was diagnosed with laryngomalacia, a congenital softening of the tissues of the larynx above the vocal cords. He’s been in the hospital a number of times, undergone surgeries and been cared for by different medical specialists,” said Edgington. “It really feels amazing to help other moms and their premature or sick babies.”

“We are grateful for these amazing moms,” says Vickers. “Their achievements have raised awareness of milk banking and milk donation. We hope this encourages all breastfeeding moms to donate ANY amount of milk to a nonprofit milk bank. Each drop holds the possibility of a miracle for a premature baby. Every ounce counts!”

Now in its tenth year of dispensing pasteurized donor milk, Vickers and the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas credit thousands of breastfeeding women for sharing their “liquid gold” to help babies who may not otherwise have the benefits of breastmilk.

All healthy, lactating mothers with excess breastmilk and a child under the age of one year are encouraged to consider donating their excess milk to a nonprofit milk bank. Interested mothers can call the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas toll-free at 1.866.810.0071 to undergo free screening and testing. Once approved donations can be dropped off at one of their 30 milk depots (link) or shipped free-of-charge directly to the Milk Bank.

About the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas
The Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas (MMBNT) is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 to provide premature and critically ill infants with donor human milk when their own mother's milk is not available. To donate breastmilk, please email moms(at)texasmilkbank(dot)org or call 817.810.0071 or toll-free 1.866.810.0071. Learn more about milk banking at http://www.texasmilkbank.org and https://www.youtube.com/user/texasmilkbank.

###

FACT SHEET: Fort Worth Super-Producers

Guinness World Record holder from Argyle, TX, Alyse Ogletree, (August 4, 2014 to CURRENT), donated 53,081 ounces of breastmilk to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas between January 2011- June 2011 and November 2012- March 2014.

Guinness World Record holder from Fort Worth, TX, Brittani Goodson, (July 16, 2014 to July 25, 2014), donated 33,410 ounces of breastmilk to 33,410 to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas between November 2012 and January 2014.

Guinness World Record holder Katy Edgington, from Fort Worth, TX, (June 30, 2014 to July 15, 2014), donated 23,251 ounces of breastmilk to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas between November 2012- January 2014.

Guinness World Record holder from Dallas, TX, Karen Merheb, (March 28, 2013 to Spring 2014), donated 14,243 ounces of breastmilk to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas between September 2012 to March 2013.

Guinness World Record holder from Fairview, TX, Sara Pascale, (March 28, 2013 to March 28, 2013), donated 11,200 ounces of breastmilk to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas between February 2012-April 2013.

Guinness World Record holder from Granbury, TX, Alicia Richman, (June 9, 2012 to March 28, 2013),donated 11,115 ounces of breastmilk to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas between June 2011 to March 2012.